Conventionally, checks which are information recording media may be used for payments at stores in place of cash or credit cards. When paid by check, the store takes the check to a banking institution such as a bank so that cash is drafted from the customer's account to the store's account to complete the payment transaction.
In recent years, such check payment transactions have been made electronically. More specifically described, the magnetic substance such MICR characters (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition: magnetic ink) printed on the front surface of a check encode data (for example, account number and serial number) which is read by a media processing device placed in a store. The read data is transmitted together with the payment amount to a server in a banking institution. According to such an electronic payment system, there is no need to bring the check used for payment to the banking institution, improving efficiency of work.
A conventional structure of the above-mentioned media processing device is described in detail (for example, Patent reference 1). FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the structure of a conventional media processing device 1100. As shown in FIG. 11(a), a conventional media processing device 1100 mainly comprises a magnetizing head 1100 as a magnetic head, an image sensor 1102, a reading head 1103, a frame 1105 constituting a transport passage 1104, and a gate 1106 through which a check 1107 is inserted.
The MICR characters on the inserted check 1107 are first magnetized by the magnetizing head 1101 arranged upstream of the transport passage 1104, and then the data is read by the reading head 1103 arranged downstream of the transport passage 1104. Note that the MICR character is temporarily magnetized by the magnetizing head 1101 in order to recover the magnetization of the MICR characters, which has been weakened by being exposed to strong magnetic fields during the distribution process so that accurate data reading can be performed by the reading head 1103.
The arrangement of the magnetizing head 1101 shown in FIG. 11(a) is specifically described. FIG. 11(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the enlargement of the vicinity (inside Z framed by a dotted line) of the magnetizing head 1101 of the media processing device shown in FIG. 11(a). As shown in FIG. 11(b), the magnetizing head 1101 is arranged such that a slide-contact face 1101a thereof is exposed to the transport passage 1104 from the frame 1105. When a check 1107 inserted to the media processing device 1100 is transported to the position opposed to the magnetizing head 1101, the check 1107 slides on the slide-contact face 1101a of the magnetizing head 1101 or moves while being in close proximity to the slide-contact face 1101a of the magnetizing head 1101. As the check 1107 passes the position opposed to the magnetizing head 1101 in this manner, the MICR characters on the check 1107 are magnetized as described above.
[Patent reference 1] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application H07-33307 Tokkai (FIG. 1 through FIG. 3)
However, in the media processing device 1100 shown in FIG. 11(a), the frame 1105 constituting the transport passage 1104 is not continuous with the slide-contact face 1101a of the magnetizing head 1101 (see FIG. 11(b)); therefore, a misshaped medium such as a check 1107 with a folded edge may get stuck at the discontinuous section, causing a jam.
Also, dust can easily build up around the discontinuous section of the frame 1105. Particularly, dust easily builds up due to the magnetic field generated by the magnetizing head 1101. Consequently, when a large amount of dust builds up around this section, a jam is caused.
Further, in the media processing device 1100 shown in FIG. 11(a), the magnetizing head 1101 needs to be fitted into a hole bored in the frame 1105; at that time, it may require time and effort to position [the magnetizing head] considering how much the magnetizing head 1101 should be protruded from the hole or how much recessed from the hole.
Also, in the magnetizing head 1101 which can be applied to the media processing device 1100 shown in FIG. 11, there may be a case that the magnetization to the information recording media is weak depending on the mounting precision of the magnetizing head 1101. Therefore, when a medium having a small retaining force is magnetized, it may be magnetized in the wrong direction. Then, when it is magnetized in the wrong direction, magnetic information on the information recording medium cannot be read correctly.
At least an embodiment of the present invention provides a media processing device that can prevent jams and easily position the magnetic head. Also, the second objective is to provide a magnetic head that can prevent degradation of reading accuracy of the magnetic information.